One Love Photo: West Coast & Hawaii Photography

*This is a paid post from an APW Sponsor*

After featuring APW Editor Kate’s wedding this morning (shot by One Love Photo), I’m thrilled to get to write a little about Heather & Jon, who were our wedding photographers as well. First, let me say, when I look back at our wedding day, one of the things I’m most grateful for is our choice of photographers. It’s not just that we have the most amazing photos in the world, it’s that we also had the some of the very best photographers in the world.

The second we met Heather & Jon we knew they were our people. They were quirky and hip. They were unabashedly on our team all day, helping us get ready, laughing at our jokes, corralling our family, crying at our ceremony, hanging out with tiny kids at our party. And they were unobtrusive. They let the wedding day happen and documented it as it unspooled.

Add to that their work. I was putting together this post, trying to pick just a few images to show you, and I realized that my stomach was hurting (or was it my heart?). I look at wedding pictures all day, every day, and looking at One Love Photo’s work causes an actual physical and emotional sensation in my chest, is all.

In this coming year, One Love Photo is refocusing on the West Coast, including Hawaii, Washington, Oregon and California. Much as they love to travel, they are craving that laid-back West Coast wedding vibe. Shockingly, given how amazing their work is, their rates in the Seattle and Hawaii start at just $3,500, and let me tell you, they are worth every penny. They work on digital and film. Using homemade lenses, toy cameras, and medium format, they capture the moments of the wedding in such an emotionally evocative and beautiful way. But you don’t have to trust me on this because Team Practical concurs.

Early on we decided we couldn’t afford our dream photographers, One Love Photo, and came up with a budget plan instead. The decision never sat well with me. Finally, about two weeks out from our wedding, I emailed them on a whim to see if they were available. We were getting married over the 4th of July weekend, and I figured they would say no and that would be that. Much to my surprise, not only were they available, they were also heading our way to shoot another wedding. I decided that was fate stepping in. Not only do we have amazing, yummy photos to remind us of the day, we made two new friends in the process. Heather and Jon are worth every cent.

When we met Heather and Jon at Meg and David’s wedding, we thought they were old friends with cool cameras, not hired professionals. Unlike most photographers we’d experienced, they seemed like a part of the community. When we got engaged, Kevin and I didn’t even need to compare photographers. Without discussion, we wanted One Love. Before our wedding, they went out of their way to ensure that they had a good sense of us and how we wanted our wedding to visually feel. The day of, they were professional, laid-back, and genuinely excited. They were enthusiastic about us taking public transportation and didn’t hesitate to hop on the bus with us. Really, they were just a lot of fun, and the images speak for themselves.

Heather and Jon have been involved with APW since the very beginning, and they’ve shot many of your weddings. When I asked Heather why they loved APWers she said, “We love to leave a wedding and say ‘we could totally be friends with those folks!’ and often we do continue friendships after the wedding. We love couples who really think about what is important to them. Couples that don’t just follow the pack. The other day my dad casually called me a nonconformist. I didn’t even realize that I was one until he brought it to my attention. I think that is what we love the most of APW readers; they are true wedding nonconformists!”

“They decide what is important and then make it happen. APW readers have weddings that fit them perfectly. If that means it’s a wedding in the woods in the pouring rain with boots on, then that is what it is and they own it! They don’t worry about a little dirt on their dress or the perfect five tier cake (they get pie instead). They decide what feels right and plan by following their heart, not what the magazines say they should do.”

And finally, Heather shared with me a little bit of how she and Jon work. She said, “I think one of the most important parts of what we do for couples is rooted in our connection to each other. We know each other so well, that at a wedding we don’t have to talk or have a ‘Game Plan.’ We trust our process because we know how one another sees. We know when to take the lead and also when to get out of each other’s way. A lot of other photographers shoot with different second shooters every weekend. I just can’t imagine that. Now that we have been shooting together for over four years and have almost 150 weddings that we have shot together, we are so dialed in. We really do perform an intuitive dance at weddings. We only work together, and I think that is one reason why our work is so unique. Our images merge together to create a cohesive narrative. Most importantly we continue to inspire and push each other to try new things.”

So West Coasters? Check out One Love Photo. As a past client, who’s grateful on a regular basis for my wedding pictures two years later, I give Heather & Jon a whole hearted recommendation.

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Yay!! Heather and Jon are the best. One year later, people are STILL commenting on how amazingly awesome our photos are.

April

I second what KC said. Heather and Jon are absolutely BRILLIANT. My husband and I love them, adore our photos, and when friends are over to our house and see the sweet little album of our wedding, always comment that the pictures are some of the best they’ve EVER seen.

Find a way to hire them, is what I’m sayin’. Aside from their photography which is pure genius, they are some of the kindest, sweetest, most thoughtful, funny and darling people you will ever know! BIG love for One Love!

Avione

I love Heather and Jon! We used them as our wedding photographers (we are that beach photo, #4 from top). Everyone, and I mean everyone always tells us how beautiful our photos are. Seriously, EVERYONE. I highly recommend them. They are warm wonderful people and our photos are just so gorgeous and bring back all the memories and love from the day. HIGHER THEM. You will not be disappointed.

Thanks Meg, Kayce, Katie, April and Avione,
You all were a dream to photograph and I wish we could have a big party and invite all of you! Wouldn’t that be a hoot! Thank you for your sweet thoughts and kind words. It means the world to us!